Cooling system for a belt caster and associated methods

Abstract

A cooling system for a belt caster including at least one movable belt. The cooling system includes a plurality of rollers and a plurality of nozzles arranged between the rollers to deliver coolant to the belt. The rollers provide a rolling support surface upon which the belt may be supported and are constructed and arranged so that a maximum number of nozzles can be provided to deliver coolant to the belt of the caster. In another embodiment, the cooling system includes a cooling box having (i) a first chamber for receiving coolant from a coolant supply; (ii) supply tubes for delivering coolant from the first chamber to a second chamber defined by a cooling face of the cooling box and the cooling surface of the belt; and (iii) a third chamber for receiving coolant from the second chamber. Associated methods of casting a molten metal into a metal product are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A belt caster including at least one movable belt having a cooling surface and a casting surface, said belt caster having a cooling system including a cooling box having (i) a first chamber for receiving said coolant from a coolant supply; (ii) means for delivering said coolant from said first chamber to a second chamber defined by a cooling face of said cooling box and said cooling surface of said belt; and (iii) a third chamber for receiving said coolant from said second chamber; and said means for delivering said coolant from said first chamber to said second chamber includes: a plurality of supply tubes each having one end that receives said coolant from said first chamber and an opposite end;   a manifold communicating with said opposite end of said supply tube to receive coolant from said supply tube; and   a plurality of nozzles, each including a nozzle opening, communicating with said manifold and disposed on said cooling face to deliver said coolant from said manifold into said second chamber.     
     
     
       2. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said cooling face includes a plurality of bearing blocks which define holes in which said nozzles are disposed.   
     
     
       3. The cooling system of claim 2, wherein said bearing blocks each include a plurality of rollers which are rotatably mounted in said bearing blocks and which extend from said bearing blocks.   
     
     
       4. The cooling system of claim 3, wherein each said bearing block includes at least one bearing shaft, each of said bearing shafts having first and second end portions which extend from opposite sides of said bearing block, a separate said roller bearing secured to each of said first and second end portions.   
     
     
       5. The cooling system of claim 4, wherein said rollers are constructed and arranged such that a plurality of spaces are defined between said rollers; and   said nozzles are disposed in said spaces.   
     
     
       6. The cooling system of claim 5, wherein said nozzle opening is generally circular in cross-section and is between about 0.8 to 1.5 mm in diameter.   
     
     
       7. The cooling system of claim 6, wherein said rollers have a generally cylindrical portion and a generally frustroconical portion.   
     
     
       8. The cooling system of claim 3, wherein said bearing blocks are constructed and arranged to define gaps and said manifolds are spaced from each other to provide passageways so that coolant from said second chamber is passed through said gaps and said passageways into said third chamber.   
     
     
       9. The cooling system of claim 8, wherein said third chamber is disposed adjacent to said cooling face in order to receive said coolant after said coolant flows through said gaps and said passageways.   
     
     
       10. The cooling system of claim 9, wherein said cooling box includes a partition to separate said first chamber from said third chamber.   
     
     
       11. The cooling system of claim 10, wherein said third chamber is interposed between said first chamber and said second chamber; and   said supply tube has a portion which traverses said third chamber.   
     
     
       12. The cooling system of claim 11, wherein a plurality of supply tubes are connected to each manifold, said manifold being oriented generally parallel, to said cooling surface of said belt and said supply tubes being oriented generally perpendicularly to said manifold.   
     
     
       13. The cooling system of claim 1, including a first pipe connecting said coolant supply to said first chamber, said first pipe carrying said coolant from said coolant supply to said first chamber.   
     
     
       14. The cooling system of claim 13, including means for removing said coolant from said third chamber. 
     
     
       15. The cooling system of claim 14, including a second pipe connecting said third chamber to said means for removing coolant from said third chamber.   
     
     
       16. The cooling system of claim 15, including a third pipe connecting said means for removing said coolant from said third chamber to said coolant supply in order to form a closed, recirculation system.   
     
     
       17. The cooling system of claim 1, including an outer box substantially surrounding said cooling box, said outer box defining a fourth chamber for receiving coolant which is not introduced into said third chamber.   
     
     
       18. The cooling system of claim 17, including means for removing said coolant from said fourth chamber.   
     
     
       19. The cooling system of claim 18, wherein said means for removing said coolant from said fourth chamber includes (i) a pump for removing said coolant from said fourth chamber, (ii) a fourth pipe connecting said fourth chamber with said pump, (iii) a fourth pipe extension associated with said fourth pipe; and (iv) a vacuum fan disposed in said pipe extension.   
     
     
       20. The cooling system of claim 19, wherein said cooling face includes at least one seal to resist leakage from said second chamber.   
     
     
       21. The cooling system of claim 20, wherein said seal includes biasing means for biasing said seal against belt.   
     
     
       22. The tooling system of claim 21, wherein said belt caster includes a pair of opposed said movable belts and a pair of opposed side dams, said belts and said side dams defining a mold for casting molten metal into a metal product.   
     
     
       23. The cooling system of claim 22, wherein said seal biasing means urging said seal against said belt and urging said belt into intimate contact with said side dam.   
     
     
       24. The cooling system of claim 23, wherein said seal defining at least one opening that contains a nozzle for delivering coolant to the back of said belt, said coolant also cooling said side dam.   
     
     
       25. The cooling system of claim 24, wherein a second said seal disposed laterally outwardly from said seal to further resist leakage of said coolant from said second chamber.   
     
     
       26. The cooling system of claim 25, wherein a third said seal disposed laterally outwardly from said second seal; and   said outer box defining an opening between said second seal and said third seal for receiving coolant that is not introduced into said third chamber.   
     
     
       27. The cooling system of claim 1, including. a filter disposed between said coolant supply and said cooling box to remove undesired foreign matter from said coolant before said coolant is delivered to said cooling box.   
     
     
       28. The cooling system of claim 1, including a cooler disposed between said coolant supply and said cooling box to cool said coolant before said coolant is delivered to said cooling box.   
     
     
       29. The cooling system of claim 27, including means for bypassing said cooler if it is desired to not cool said coolant after said coolant leaves said coolant supply but before said coolant is delivered to said cooling box.   
     
     
       30. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said coolant supply is a reservoir, said reservoir includes a fan for removing air from said coolant.   
     
     
       31. The cooling system of claim 1, wherein said belt caster includes a pair of opposed movable belts; and   said cooling system includes a cooling box associated with each of said belts.   
     
     
       32. The cooling system of claim 31, wherein said belt caster is a generally vertical twin belt caster.   
     
     
       33. A method of casting molten metal into a metal product, said method comprising: providing a belt caster that defines a mold for casting said molten metal into said metal product, said caster including (i) a movable belt having a cooling surface and a casting surface and (ii) a cooling box having a first chamber, means for delivering a coolant from said first chamber to a second chamber defined by a cooling face of said cooling box and said cooling surface of said belt and a third chamber;   passing said belt through a casting zone including, said mold;   supplying said coolant from a coolant supply to said first chamber;   delivering said coolant from said first chamber to said second chamber through said delivering means so that said coolant is applied to said cooling surface of said belt;   introducing said coolant from said second chamber into said third chamber;   removing said coolant from said third chamber;   introducing said molten metal into said mold; and   solidifying said molten metal in said mold into said metal product.   
     
     
       34. The method of claim 33, including providing an outer box that defines a fourth chamber, said outer box substantially surrounding said cooling box;   collecting in said fourth chamber said coolant that is not introduced into said third chamber; and   removing said coolant from said fourth chamber.   
     
     
       35. The method of claim 33, including delivering said coolant to said cooling box at temperature of about 25° C. to 40° C.   
     
     
       36. The method of claim 33, including before supplying said coolant from said coolant supply to said cooling box, filtering said coolant to remove, undesired foreign matter therefrom.   
     
     
       37. The method of claim 33, including removing air from said coolant before said coolant is delivered to said first chamber.   
     
     
       38. The method of claim 33, including employing as said belt caster a twin belt caster having a pair of movable opposed belts; and   providing a separate said cooling box for each of said pair of movable opposed belts.   
     
     
       39. The method of claim 38, including employing as said twin belt caster a generally vertically oriented twin belt caster. 
     
     
       40. The method of claim 33, including casting molten aluminum in said caster.   
     
     
       41. A belt caster including at least one movable belt having a cooling surface and a casting surface, said belt caster having a cooling system including a cooling box having (i) a first chamber for receiving said coolant from a coolant supply; (ii) means for delivering said coolant from said first chamber to a second chamber defined by a cooling face of said cooling box and said cooling surface of said belt; and (iii) a third chamber for receiving said coolant from said second chamber; said means for delivering said coolant from said first chamber to said second chamber includes: a plurality of supply tubes each having one end that receives said coolant from said first chamber and an opposite end;   a manifold communicating with said opposite end of said supply tube to receive coolant from said supply tube;   a plurality of nozzles, each including a nozzle opening, communicating with said manifold and disposed on said cooling face to deliver said coolant from said manifold into said second chamber; and     a plurality of rollers arranged between said nozzles.